Feelin' Great!

So my show closed this weekend. It's so bittersweet because I really had a blast. Sometimes when you reach the end of a run you are ready to let it go and move on. Sometimes you enjoy yourself so much you could keep going and going. I was so fortunate that the latter was the case with my latest show. On the other hand, soon I will have a little more free time to work out and play with new recipes in the kicthen.

Tonight I had a great win. It was my husband's birthday today and in addition to fun gifts and a day at the planetarium for my galactic-loving mate, I took him to dinner. He wanted a steak for his birthday dinner and I scoured nearby restaurants for a place that could possibly suit my needs in some way (aka I was resigned to the fact that I would most likely be eating a boring salad or some steamed veggies-none of the menus looked promising.) Then, on the way home from learning about stars and galaxies I remembered one nearby restaurant that I'd forgotten to look into. Lo and behold, there seemed to be some really decent options for me as well as a great steak option for the birthday guy. Boy was there ever!!! On the menu was a "Greens and Grains" option that changes daily. Tonight it was quinoa, fresh green beans, carrots, seared tofu, and a balsamic carmelized onion. YUUUMM! It was so delicious and succulent and fancy and animal product free!! The waitress said almost all of their soups were animal free as well and they would make pretty much anything on the menu animal free for me if it's at all possible. Awesome. My husband said his steak was terrific and my meal was fantastic so it was such a win! I had been so bummed that I would most likely be eating lettuce leaves and sneaking raw carrots and nuts from my purse for dinner, but the fates smiled and I felt rewarded for sticking to my health guns! (For any Chicago folks the restaurant is Sola on Lincoln Ave.)

I am feeling so healthy and confident and slender lately. Cleaning up my diet and sticking to grains, greens, and bean protein has made me feel so amazing! I touched my abs randomly today and they felt so much more lean and toned.

I'm off to a four day visit to my home state of Texas bright and early in the morning. I'm nervous about food options, but my plan is to hit a grocery store for some staples to get me through the visit. My hubby is so supportive so I know I can get through it! I wish you all very fanatsic and healthy holidays. I'm thankful for all of you! We can make it through this season of temptation!!